Legacy of Hyne
by Tears of Stardust
Summary: A story set one month after the defeat of Ultimecia, when a new being arrives and brings chaos to the planet. Betrayal, love, loyalty, and destiny are brought into play while lives hang in the balance as one woman must learn when to obey orders and when
1. Prologue

Legacy of Hyne  
Prologue  
Two yellow eyes stared back at me with an almost human intelligence. Red scales gleamed  
on it's back, the dim light shining from above being captured in the sea of red. Black horns rose  
from it's head, seeming as if they longed for the freedom of the sky. Rust coloured, leathery  
wings adorned it's back and sharp, retractable, black claws graced it's feet. It smiled then,  
revealing a row of razor-sharp teeth. I was face to face with a ruby dragon, and I was in the  
mood to fight.  
We were squared off in what seemed to be an ancient coliseum, the granite pillars giving rise  
to a building that countless species had shed blood in. The immense spectator stands were  
empty except for one being.  
She say on a throne of pure gold, flanked by her pet Grendel. She was humanoid, wearing a  
tight-fitting blue bikini top with a blue skirt that was tight around her narrow hips; yet more and  
more flowing the further down it hung. She had golden blonde hair that seemed to flash in the  
dim light and ice blue eyes. A small smile was evident upon her lips.  
"Give it up Adalia, you'll never win," she called down at me.  
"We shall see Hyne, we shall see," I called back at her. She laughed at this, her voice echoing  
in the large space.  
I got into my ready position, knees slightly bent and all my weight on my right foot which  
was slightly behind my left.  
The dragon took this as a signal and charged straight at me. I was expecting this, and I lashed  
out with my right foot into the dragon's face, shifting my weight and making the kick more  
powerful.  
The dragon reeled back in surprise at my swiftness, then growled a warning that meant things  
were about to get serious. I cast reflect in response to this, and the dragon cast reflect also,  
mirroring my move.  
"Clever girl," I commented, then did a front flip that landed right in from tof the dragon's  
face. I began to do a heel drop, but the dragon, seeing that I was slightly off balance, retracted  
it's claws and swiped at my leg.  
I fell flat on my back, and half a second later the dragon was hovering over top of me,  
breathing into my face with it's warm breath just reeking of carrion.  
"Geez, haven't you ever heard of a breath mint?" I asked the dragon as Hyne exploded into  
laughter.  
"Please, do leave poor Simon alone," Hyne managed to gasp out between fits of laughter.  
"Yeah, at least I can win a fight," Simon growled.   
"At least I don't have a wussy name," I shot back, angered that Simon had won.  
"I can't help what I was named," the dragon growled. "What's up with you today? First you  
call me a girl, then you start to spazz on me when you lost. You usually take losing with such  
grace. Are you feeling alright?"  
I stood still for a moment, pondering his words. What is wrong with me?  
"I honestly don't know Simon, but I've been getting this bad vibe all day," I answered slowly,  
not sure what he'd make of it.  
"You are right Adalia," Hyne said, interrupting my thoughts. "But it will only be so in the  
beginning, for the bay of evil shall pass and the day when good reigns shall replace it,"  
"I'm sorry Hyne, but I just don't follow," I answered, wondering what she was getting at.  
"Many years ago, a plague rose up against me and I crushed it while at the same time sending  
my guardians down to ensure it never happens again," Hyne began.  
I nodded. "Yes, that was when you destroyed the Centra civilizations and created the Lunar  
Cry. But what's that have to do with good and evil days?" I asked, feeling more confused than  
ever.  
"Let me cut to the chase," Hyne sighed, knowing that I hated it when she beat around the  
bush. "I'm going to send you down to the planet on a quest for justice. Once you reach the planet  
you will receive instructions from me about your mission,"  
"Whoa! Hang on a second, don't I get a say in this?" I asked desperately, looking to Simon  
for support. I had watched to goings-on of the planet for as long as it had hung in the sky and I  
knew that it wasn't exactly a resort.  
  
"No,"was all Hyne said before I was swept up in a swirl of stardust.  
Brilliant colours flashed all around me and blocked me from seeing anything beyond them. I  
felt a sinking feeling in my stomach when I realized that I had begun the sharp, downward fall  
into the planet's atmosphere. I felt a slight jolt beneath my feet and I knew I had reached the  
surface of the planet.  
Find the Sleeping Lionheart, for he will lead you to the Angel Wing. After you find her, all  
will be revealed, the voice of Hyne whispered into my mind.   
Suddenly, the stardust cleared from around me, and I could see my surroundings.  
Flowers, a field full of flowers.  
Author's Note: Yeah, I know that the chapter's a little short but I had to keep it so the plot wasn't  
all revealed in the first segment. BTW, the ruby dragon is named after my cat, Simon. Just  
thought you'd want to know that. I'll try to have the first chapter up A.S.A.P., so just bear with  
me.  
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters except for Adalia 


	2. The Ancient One

Chapter One  
  
  
Where are my angels?  
Where's my golden one?  
Where's my hope  
now that my heroes have gone?  
Some are being beaten  
Some are being born  
And some can't tell  
The difference anymore  
Jewel  
Amen  
  
The abyss. How he loved to return there, night after night, to a place where  
solace is at best unpredictable. Hopes and fears, dreams and failures, all  
becoming a kaleidoscope of images which fill the heart with passion as well as  
foreboding. Yes, Squall Leonhart adored this place, and was not one to leave it  
without a fight.  
  
"Squall, wake up! Nida wants to talk to you about something, and he was  
very worried about it," Selphie yelled into Squall's ear whilst shaking him to get  
him up.  
  
"Wha?"was the only answer Squall could voice, having not yet shaken off  
the stupor of his dreaming.  
  
"Tee-hee, you look so funny in the morning. Anyways, meet you at the  
bridge!" the bubbly brunette said before leaving.  
  
Squall groaned and rolled over, trying to get back to sleep. But sleep was  
elusive and Squall decided to just get up.  
  
Why couldn't it have been Rinoa that woke me up? Squall asked to himself,  
before immediately remembering that day one week before when Rinoa had  
mysteriously run away...  
  
"Rinoa, what are you doing?" Squall asked as he watched Rinoa pack her  
belongings into a beat-up leather suitcase.  
  
"Oh Squall," Rinoa began, her back facing him, "I was hoping I could have  
left without you knowing,"  
  
"You're leaving?! Where are you...how...why?" Squall replied, feeling a  
sudden ache in his chest.  
  
  
"There is something wrong," Rinoa said, turning around to face him.   
"Something very wrong. I can feel it, and I know it's connected to my powers  
somehow. Please Squall, I need to go now before anybody gets hurt,"  
  
And with that Rinoa had grabbed her suitcase and fled, giving him no time  
to respond or to try to stop her.  
  
Rinoa, Squall thought to himself, What was it that you were fleeing from?   
Another evil like Ultimecia? Or worse, an evil that cannot be named?  
  
"Squall, please report to the bridge immediately!" Nida's voice beckoned  
from the intercom, snapping Squall out of his dreamy state.  
  
Squall groaned again, then began to get dressed.  
  
* * * * *  
  
15 minutes later Squall was showered and dressed, waiting for Nida to begin explaining  
what was so urgent that he had to be woken up.  
  
"I hope I didn't disturb your sleep," the dark-haired man began.  
  
"As a matter of fact you did," Squall snapped, feeling annoyed that Nida didn't just get  
right to the point.  
  
"Sorry Commander, but I thought you might want to hear this. It's a transmission from  
the Balamb Hotel that was received at two o'clock this morning. By the time it was traced and  
SeeDs got there, the perpetrator had already fled the room it was traced to,"  
  
"What did the transmission say?" Squall asked, feeling a sense of foreboding wash over  
him. Nida pulled out a small, black tape recorder with the words 'received transmissions' stuck  
on the side with masking tape.  
  
"I think that when you hear the voice on the tape you'll know who it is," Nida said as he  
hit play.  
  
"Hey Squall, remember me? Heh heh, of course you do. Nobody forgets a Sorceress'  
knight. Anyways, if you're looking for your girlfriend, don't worry, she's here with me. Ta-ta,  
puberty boy,"  
  
Nida clicked off the tape recorder. "That's where it ends,"  
  
Squall felt his blood begin to boil. If Seifer did anything to Rinoa he'd...  
  
"So, what are we going to do Commander?" Nida asked.  
  
"Send a team of SeeDs out to look for her," Squall ordered, his world starting to get a  
little out of focus. "And I'll help look too, I can't sit around not doing anything,"  
  
"Squall, that cannot be done now," Nida said, his voice lowering an octave.  
  
"Oh? And why not?"Squall demanded, wondering why one of his most loyal SeeDs  
wasn't heeding his order.  
  
"Well Squall, most of our SeeDs have been sent to clear up the situation in Galbadia  
since General Caraway and Vice President Rufus are fighting over who gets control of Galbadia  
now that President Deling is dead.  
  
"Besides, you can't leave, this Garden needs you here," Nida finished.  
  
"Then what are we going to do!!!" Squall practically shouted at Nida.  
  
"Hmm...well, since we are close to Trabia Garden we could maybe help them with their  
repairs in return for some rations if worst comes to worst," Nida mused.  
  
"Why would we have to stay here?" Squall asked, wondering what Nida had in mind.  
  
"Because, with your permission, I would like to be the one that goes out and finds  
Rinoa!"  
  
* * * * *  
  
Seifer opened his eyes and saw the aging yellow ceiling of the orphanage. He grinned.   
Another day, another way to bother Squall. Seifer rolled out of bed and walked over to a grimy  
mirror that hung on the wall.  
  
Yup, he thought to himself, Still looking good. Seifer turned around and marvelled at the  
structure of the orphanage. After the Second Sorceress War, President Laguna of Esthar had  
decided to fund the rebuilding of the orphanage; the result being the place looked almost like  
new.  
  
Seifer had come back here one rainy day night in hope of shelter from a storm, both the  
physical one outside and the one raging inside his heart. Edea and Cid had taken him in, being  
the kind of people that forgive and forget. They figured Seifer could help them care for some of  
the orphans there. As surprising as it may seem, there was still quite a few orphans there and  
Seifer was good with kids.  
  
Although life with the Kramers was peaceful, Seifer found it very boring. As he once  
said in the Lunatic Pandora, "I've always got to be doing something BIG!!!"  
  
  
Of course he did find ways to amuse himself during his spare time. One night a SeeD  
from Balamb Garden called him, a guy who called himself Spike, and offered to be Seifer's tap  
on the inside. Seifer questioned this man's motives, but in the end he figured he would have to  
use the information to poke fun at Squall, not to take any of it too seriously.  
  
Seifer sighed and looked out the window, almost sickened by the millions of different  
colours of the flowers.  
  
"Seifer, come quick!" Edea's voice called through the open window, twinged with fear.   
Seifer grabbed his Hyperion, which was leaning up against a nearby wall, and ran outside,  
adrenaline giving him and extra boost of speed.  
  
Seifer stopped beside Cid, for all the orphans were flocking around Edea for protection.   
Cid glanced at Seifer, than turned his attention back to the flower field that Seifer had been  
gazing at a few seconds ago.  
  
A figure that Seifer had failed to notice stood in the flower fields, which was strange  
because the pure white of her dress contrasted (though not in an unpleasant way) with the  
colours of the flowers. She was beautiful, her long brunette hair reached down to her shoulder  
blades and her red highlights shone naturally in the noonday sun. Even from where he Seifer  
stood he could see the blue of her eyes, the colour of the deepest part of the ocean on a clear and  
sunny day. Her figure was petite, but that didn't mean she didn't have any muscle tone. A  
spaghetti strap dress made of what looked like silk flowed around her and ended at her delicate  
ankles.  
  
Seifer lowered his Hyperion and approached the woman. "Are you lost?" he asked  
gently, not wanting to either offend or frighten her.  
  
She tilted her head slightly. "I am looking for the Sleeping Lionheart," she said, not  
knowing whether to trust the man or not.  
  
"You mean Leonhart? Squall Leonhart?!" Seifer exclaimed, taken a little aback by what  
she said.  
  
She giggled. She thought it was funny when this silly little mortal lost his composure.   
She thought that she would like this fellow. "My name is Adalia," she told him as she extended  
her hand.  
  
"Seifer," he replied as he took her hand in his and kissed it, noting the simple silver band  
on her right ring-finger.  
  
"Seifer, will you help me find this Leonhart fellow?" Adalia implored gently.  
  
An uncontrollable shudder passed through Seifer, followed by white-hot rage. It wasn't  
enough that Squall had taken Rinoa away from him, but he may also take this beautiful and  
graceful Siren in front of Seifer. If Seifer did accompany her, he would try to keep her from  
falling for puberty boy. "Only if you tell me one thing," Seifer teased to prove he was callous  
about the chain of events.   
  
"Oh, and what would that be?" Adalia asked, curious about what he wanted to know and  
yet fearing it at the same time.  
  
"What are you? You're almost too perfect to be someone on this planet," Seifer asked,  
only half joking.  
  
Adalia seemed to think for a minute, then she replied "I am what the people here call...a  
Sorceress,"  
  
______________________________________________________________________________  
Author's Notes: Mwa hah, I love cliff hanger endings. Also, if anybody noticed that little joke  
from FF7, please say so if you review. I know I also got a little out of character with Seifer in  
the last few lines, but oh well :) BTW, the next chapter will be a whole lot more exciting.  
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters except for Adalia. 


	3. The Crossing

Chapter Two  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own anything except for Adalia, Adalia's Song and the idea for my story.  
  
We've got these chains that hang  
around our necks,  
people want to strangle us with them before  
we take our first breath.  
Afraid of change, afraid of staying the same  
When temptation calls we try to look away  
Barenaked Ladies  
What A Good Boy  
  
Loneliness. Everyday since Nida was very young that was all he had known.   
His parents had abandoned him when he was eight, leaving him to die on the  
streets of Galbadia. Nida had been all alone and scared, until he saw the bright  
lights of Galbadia Garden from a distance. Nida had grabbed his broad sword (a  
parting gift from his parents) and headed off to Garden. When he reached  
Galbadia Garden, Nida was accepted and brought in to Garden to begin training as  
a SeeD. Five years later Nida got wind of a rumour that his parents were back and  
looking for him. Nida sent in a transferral application that very day.  
  
Even now, eleven years after his parents had left him, Nida still couldn't  
forgive them for what they did.  
  
Nida Kisargi kept his eyes on the prize, until Rinoa came into the picture.  
From the moment Nida felt her presence, he had wanted her. But Nida knew that  
she was meant for Squall, and so Rinoa had unknowingly and unintentionally left  
Nida alone.  
  
Dreams die hard and Nida found that he was still attracted to Rinoa. That  
was the reason he had volunteered to go and save Rinoa himself, even though  
there were still the SeeDs left in the Garden who had went to Balamb Hotel earlier  
this morning. Nida had moved the Garden from Balamb to Trabia as a safety  
precaution.  
  
The first thing Nida did was go and hunt for a chocobo in the Chocobo  
Forest north of Trabia Garden, them he sat back for a moment to think of places  
where Seifer could hide. Galbadia, Timber and Dollet were out of the question for  
they were all planning to war with one another. Winhill and Balamb were too small  
to keep a low profile for a character such as Seifer Alsmay. FH was out because  
because the citizens had been put on alert, and if they discovered Seifer then  
they'd announce his position to the whole world, something someone like Seifer  
wouldn't want. Esthar would be a sensible spot for him to hide, but after the  
Second Sorceress War they had made absolutely sure that there was no way into  
the country except for the air station. That meant that the only place left was the  
Centra continent.  
  
Nida looked up at the sky, and it assured him that it was going to be a beautiful day.   
Nida urged his chocobo into a fast, ground-covering pace, as he sat back and enjoyed the scenery  
of the Trabia Snowfield, Esthar Forests, Esthar Plains, the ocean, Kashabald desert and the  
plains of Centra that surrounded him.  
  
Nida felt a warm, north eastern breeze ruffle through his locks and caress his face like a  
long lost lover. It carried the smell of this springtime, and a thousand spring times before it.  
  
His chocobo warbled happily as it felt the warm noon time sun on its feathers,  
welcoming the spring time in all it's glory.  
  
Nida urged his chocobo into a run, feeling his heart begin to pound faster with the  
anticipation of a potential confrontation. 'Rinoa might be here; then I'll take her back to the  
Commander. I won't be known as the SeeD that didn't cut it now! I'll show them, and I don't  
need to defeat a sorceress to do so!' Nida thought to himself.  
  
The chocobo seemed to wark in agreement, then sped up, hurtling toward certain  
adventure and filled with the gravity and joy of being alive.  
  
Nida felt his pulse begin to race even faster as he spotted the squat stone building that  
served as Edea's orphanage.  
  
When he got closer, Nida dismounted his chocobo and ran around to the back of the  
building, hearing the shocked voices of several children and Edea trying to usher them into the  
house.  
  
The children were just stock still, gazing at something out in the distance. Nida followed  
their gaze, looking over at two figures that were conversing in the field, one of them was very  
familiar.  
  
* * * * *   
  
"A...a sorceress?" Seifer stuttered as he took a step back, knowing from  
experience to be wary of sorceresses.  
  
Adalia frowned. That wasn't exactly the answer she was looking for. She  
had told him the truth, what more did he want?  
  
Was this proving the Great Hyne wrong? She had always told Adalia that the  
only thing that drives humans is the truth. All great quests had started out as a  
simple search for the truth. It cannot be said (unless lying through the teeth) that  
a quest for something didn't involve finding the truth on some level.  
  
"Yes," she said finally, "I am a Sorceress, and I need your help."  
  
"Seifer just stood there for a second, taking the information in. Seifer  
suddenly to begin to panic inside his own mind. Why does she want me to help?   
Is she going to bend me to her will like all the other sorceresses? Why am I  
making the decision of whether she's dangerous or not by myself? Cid, Edea, help  
me!  
  
Seifer shot a quick backward glance. Edea had taken the children inside,  
yet Cid had stayed outside to see what this girl wanted, concern etched on to his aging face.  
  
"I..." Seifer began, then he looked into Adalia's vibrant blue eyes and knew he  
couldn't say no to her. "I will join you on your quest, Sorceress Adalia," Seifer  
said as he dipped into a deep bow.  
  
"You!" Seifer heard a voice exclaim from behind him. Seifer turned around,  
expecting to see Cid, but instead came face-to-face with Nida.  
  
"You bastard!"Nida exclaimed as he swung a fist at Seifer. Seifer was taken  
by surprise and the punch connected , sending Seifer to the ground. Nida may  
have appeared weak, but he threw a powerful punch.  
  
Seifer pulled the Hyperion out of it's sheath at his side and charged at Nida,  
when all of a sudden he ran into what seemed like a barrier, though no physical  
obstruction could be seen.  
  
"I stopped your fighting before it got worse," Adalia said matter-of-factly  
from behind Seifer, smug with the feeling that she could perform such feats that these mortals  
could not.  
  
"Who...who are you?" Nida stuttered, amazed at the power and the beauty  
of this woman, yet fearful at the same time.   
  
Adalia gave him a cold look. "I was just about to leave with Seifer when you  
arrived."  
  
Nida was confused. "You didn't answer my question at all, not even close."   
  
"That's because you asked the wrong one," Adalia replied, sighing that she had to explain  
everything to these humans.  
  
"Oh, and what exactly is the right question?" Nida asked, starting to become  
pissed off at this woman who had stopped him from fulfilling his wish for revenge.  
  
"A mixture between what are you doing here? and where do you think  
you're going? Actually, I don't quite know the correct question," Adalia giggled at  
her own foolishness. "Besides, you're going to come with Seifer and I, aren't  
you?"  
  
"No," Nida said abruptly, "First, I have no idea who you are, though I have a  
pretty good idea of what you are. Second, I'm in the middle of some important  
business. Lastly, Seifer kidnapped and is holding hostage Rinoa Heartilly!"  
  
"So? Why is that so important to you?"Adalia asked, becoming fascinated  
by this other man, who housed so much passion though was a bit slow.  
  
Nida felt a blush creep up his neck. "Because...uhhh...it's a direct order  
from Commander Leonhart!" Nida finally managed to get out.  
  
"Well, as much as I hate to be the bringer of bad news," Seifer said with a  
grin not unlike that of the Cheshire cat, "But Rinoa isn't here. I thought that  
Leonhart himself would show up, but I guess she doesn't mean that much to him."   
  
Nida's blood began to boil as he balled his hand into a fist to smash Seifer's  
smiling face. Adalia, sensing the tension in the air, tried to dispel it.  
  
"Well, since it seems that you shall have to report back to Commander  
Leonhart anyway, I suggest that we all travel together, for added protection." She suggested,  
hoping that it would take their minds off beating each other.  
  
"I don't need any protection," Seifer growled, looking evilly at Nida and feeling an almost  
overwhelming need for revenge against the man that had took a cheap shot at him.  
  
"No Seifer, the protection is for me," Adalia said, pointing out what she  
thought was obvious.   
  
"You're a sorceress, aren't you?" Nida blurted out. Adalia nodded.   
"Hmm...then I guess you will need protection, though not from the creatures  
lurking around."  
  
Adalia was slightly confused by this, for although she watched this world rise  
from primeval sludge, she still didn't know what society found acceptable.  
  
Seifer went into the house and told Edea and the orphans goodbye before  
coming back outside to thank Cid for his hospitality, but he had to go.  
  
Then the party set out, Adalia slightly ahead with Seifer and Nida flanking  
her on either side. Since there were a few oceans in between Trabia Garden and  
Edea's house, they all decided that they would ride chocobos through the  
mountains into the Kashabald desert and around the "shields" of the Esthar  
continent, through the forests to the stretch of shallow water that connected  
Esthar and Trabia.   
  
After they had gotten the chocobos from the nearby forest, they set out.   
Nida led the party through the winding mountain trails and through the barren desert.  
  
Nida stopped his chocobo at the edge of the desert where sand met sea,  
and scanned the horizon. A frown descended upon his gorgeous face.  
  
"So what do we do now, genius?" Seifer asked sarcastically, knowing that  
chocobos couldn't cross deep waters. He began to seriously wonder why this man got into SeeD.  
  
"Dammit," Nida muttered under his breath, then looked up and addressed  
Seifer and Adalia. "It must be high tide. The Choco Boy warned me of this,"  
  
"Well of all the..." Seifer started then began to utter a string of curses.  
  
"I think we may have to camp here, though it's only mid-afternoon. What do  
you say, Adalia?" Nida asked, turning to face Adalia. She was just sitting there,  
eyes closed and seemingly deep in thought. Then all of a sudden she opened her  
eyes and they flared a bright yellow.  
  
The chocobos began to wark in alarm and Nida could no longer see the chocobo's  
feet touching the ground.  
  
"What the...?" Nida heard Seifer remark before turning around his now  
airborne chocobo. He looked at Adalia. "Oh, right. The sorceress thing. I  
gotcha,"  
  
"Shall we go?" Adalia said, looking at Nida with her now blue eyes. Nida  
nodded and spurred his chocobo onward, toward their distant destination.  
  
By the time the chocobos reached the crater by Trabia Garden, dusk was  
beginning to fall and the chocobos were tired and warking their misery to the world.  
  
"How far is your Commander from here?" Adalia asked as she "landed" her  
chocobo on the snow covered ground.  
  
"Not far," Nida replied, "We could just walk to the Garden."  
  
"Garden?"  
  
"Yeah, it's the establishment where the Commander works."  
  
"Oh, ok. I think we should let these chocobos go now,"  
  
"If we let go of these chocobos then we'll have to face monsters," Nida  
warned, wondering if Seifer and Adalia would turn on him and leave him alone to face the  
monsters himself.  
  
"Well it would be about time we had some excitement," Seifer grumbled.  
  
The trio began to walk, but then they heard something crashing through the  
nearby forest. Seifer and Nida withdrew their weapons just as a ruby dragon burst  
from the forest.  
  
Adalia stepped back a bit to see how they fought with dragons which she  
had become so familiar with. She did not want to get in their way.  
  
"What's a ruby dragon doing over this way?!" Nida exclaimed as one of the  
dragon's clawed feet that would have severed his head from his neck just missed  
him because he had jumped back.  
  
"I don't know, let's just take it out!" Seifer yelled.  
  
Seifer went straight for the neck, but the dragon's teeth kept him away from  
it. Nida, who had sneaked around the dragon, took this opportunity to slash at the  
dragon's side with his broad sword. A splash of blood painted the blade crimson.  
  
'Blood?' Adalia thought to herself. 'When Simon and I fight there's no blood  
and . . .oh no. . .'Adalia thought as realization dawned on her.  
  
The dragon roared and shot a stream of fire at Nida, the dragon having to  
turn his head over it's shoulder and expose it's neck as it did so.  
  
Nida backflipped out of the way of the stream of fire while Seifer ran up and  
sliced the ruby dragon's throat.  
  
"Nooooo!" Adalia screamed in time with the great beast's roar as it's knees  
buckled out from under it, sending the dragon crashing to the ground.  
  
Adalia ran over and cradled the dragon's head, unaware of the crimson pool  
fanning out around her and soaking into the edge of her dress, colouring it a deep crimson.  
  
"I was just trying to save you from them," the dragon whispered hoarsely as  
Adalia's eyes began to brim with tears. She knew that although she had the power of a thousand  
sorceresses at her disposal, there was nothing she could do to stop the ruby dragon's pain.  
  
"Shhhh," Adalia whispered and began to sing softly,   
"No matter where you've been   
And no matter what you've done  
I will always be here  
Ad infinitum,"  
  
The dragon growled a contented sigh, then was lost to this world. Adalia  
put her head against the dragon's and softly began to weep.  
  
"Adalia?" Nida inquired, "What's wrong?"  
  
Adalia felt her blood begin to boil as she stood up. "You killed him," she  
said, half-weeping, "You killed him you bastards!" Adalia finished before she burst  
into tears.  
  
"Adalia, it was a ruby dragon, he could've killed you," Nida said in his  
talking-to-a-little-child voice, but before he could say anything else he was cut off  
by an almost hysterical Adalia.  
  
"But why did you fight?! Why did you just try to talk it out?!" Adalia shouted, feeling  
lightheaded with rage.  
  
"Monsters don't talk." Seifer scoffed.  
  
"Have you ever tried? Have you ever tried talking to them?" Adalia said  
softly with tears tracing rivulets down her cheeks. "Have you?"  
  
The only response to this was the downcast eyes of Seifer and Nida  
accompanied by the scuffing of Nida's feet. They looked almost like two boys  
caught making trouble by their mother. Adalia would've laughed had she not been  
so upset.  
  
Suddenly, there was a loud mechanical roar and Nida spun around to see  
the Garden looming nearby.  
  
'How could they have moved the Garden out here?' Nida thought to himself.   
'Can someone other than me pilot the Garden?'  
  
"Well, it looks like we don't have to walk far at all," Seifer commented dryly.  
  
"Let's go," Nida said as the party walked into the open door and straight into  
the waiting clutches of the Garden Administrators.  
  
______________________________________________________________________________  
Author's Note: I noticed that when I looked at the story the chapters are messed up in the drop  
down box (ie. Chapter 2 is actually Chapter 1, Chapter 3 is actually Chapter 2, etc.) So don't pay  
attention to the drop down box ;) I put another FF7 joke in here and if anybody notices this one  
put in the review. 


	4. The Interrogation

Chapter #3  
  
Oh my brother, my sister, my mother,  
You're losing your identity.  
Can't you see that it's you in the window  
shining with intensity?  
Sarah McLachlan  
Circle  
  
  
A bright light that hung from the ceiling blinded Adalia and sent shadows  
scattering around the room. She sat at one end of a heavy oak table and a heavy  
set man stood at the other end.  
  
When Seifer, Nida and Adalia had arrived at the Garden, the administrators  
had been waiting. They handcuffed the trio and had confiscated their weapons.   
Seifer and Nida were then pulled away in a different direction down the hall than  
Adalia while she was shoved into this little room with a man that stank of fine  
cigars.  
  
"State your name please miss." the man asked with a tone of boredom.  
  
"Adalia," she answered, wondering what good her name would be to him.  
  
"Adalia, are you aware of the past actions of your travelling companion, one  
Seifer Alsmay?" He leaned over the table toward her as if to better hear her  
answer.  
  
"No." she answered curtly. She was beginning to wonder if the walls of this  
room were magic resistant.  
  
The man across from her sighed heavily. "Why were you travelling with  
Seifer Alsmay in the first place?"  
  
"I was on my way to see someone. I asked Seifer and Nida if they would  
protect me along the way." Adalia told him, wondering why this was any of his  
business in the first place. She was about to test how strong these walls were  
against magic.  
  
Suddenly the door burst open and a good-looking man of about seventeen  
ran in. "Detective, out this on her!" the young man exclaimed as he threw  
something that looked like a bracelet at the other man.  
  
Adalia stood up, seizing this opportunity to try to escape. She started  
muttering an incantation for a powerful spell, when all of a sudden the heavy man,  
who had run over to her, clapped the bracelet onto her wrist. Adalia just smiled  
and finished the incantation, but was dumbfounded when her magic failed to  
work.  
  
"We have you now, Sorceress Adalia!"  
  
* * * * *   
  
Nida sat in the Commander's office, just a few minutes after he had arrived  
with Seifer and Adalia. Squall stood in front of him, a frown adorning his face.  
  
"Nida, what the hell were you doing travelling with Seifer? And where is  
Rinoa?" Squall asked in his coldest voice, saved only for interrogations.  
  
"I was travelling with Seifer at the request of Adalia, the woman who was  
travelling with us. And..." Nida hung his head. "Though Seifer was the one who  
sent the transmission, he doesn't have Rinoa."  
  
"So who's this Adalia character? Seifer's new girlfriend?" Squall asked with  
a slightly mocking tone in his voice.  
  
"No, she's not," Nida started, and Squall face's immediately fell back into  
it's stone mask.  
  
"Then who is she?" Squall asked in a slightly curios tone.  
  
"She's a sorceress." Nida stated, slightly worried of what Squall's reaction  
would be. Squall immediately turned pale, then began to rummage through his  
desk as though there were a demon after him.  
  
Suddenly he held up an intricately woven gold bracelet.  
  
"What's that?" Nida asked, fearing for Adalia.  
  
"Odine's bracelet. It's supposed to suppress a sorceress' powers," Squall  
said as he raced out of the room to where Adalia was taken.  
  
Nida looked at Squall's desk and saw the keys to his handcuffs just lying on  
the top of it, begging him to take them.  
  
'This is going to become real interesting' Nida thought as he got up from his  
chair. Nida grabbed the keys and after a few moments freed himself from the  
cuffs and took off towards the elevator. He jumped in and pressed the button for  
the basement.  
  
After the SeeDs had cleared the wreckage of Norg's pod, Squall had ordered  
holding cells placed there for the more violent and 'induced' students. There were  
also several rooms off to the side for interrogation purposes. Nida ran into one of  
those rooms and saw Squall and someone he didn't recognize faced off against a  
very surprised looking Adalia.  
  
"Adalia!" Nida exclaimed, causing Squall and the other man to turn around  
and look at him.  
  
"Nida, who did you get here?!" Squall asked, surprise evident in his voice.  
  
"Nida, please tell these people I'm only here to talk to someone," Adalia  
said, causing the Squall and the other guy to turn around again.  
  
"Well Adalia, here's your chance," Nida said, "Allow me to introduce  
Commander Leonhart."  
  
Adalia looked at the younger man. 'So this is the man we've travelled so far  
to see' she thought to herself. "Hello Commander. I am here to see the Angel  
Wing. Where is she?"  
  
Squall was confused. Then he remembered the only person he knew who  
had wings. "You mean Rinoa? What do you want Rinoa for?" he demanded.  
  
"I need to talk to her," Adalia said slowly, not altogether sure what it was  
she did want Rinoa for.  
  
"Remove her handcuffs," Squall ordered the detective.  
  
"What?!" the detective exclaimed, not believing his ears. "Why do you want  
me to do that?! We should be handing her over to Esthar so they can seal her  
powers!"  
  
Squall agreed with him on one level, but on a deeper, subconscious level,  
he knew that keeping this woman retrained could be more dangerous than to let  
her go. "We will let you go on one condition," Squall said to Adalia, ignoring the  
detective, "You must wear that bracelet while you are here in the Garden. I will  
provide you with somewhere to sleep should you decide to stay here."  
  
Adalia nodded. "I will stay here for the night."  
  
"Release her." Squall told the detective. The detective pulled the key from  
his pocket, shaking with rage as he unlocked Adalia's restraints.  
  
"I shall take my leave now," the detective said as he stormed off, heading  
towards the elevator.  
  
"I will leave as well," Squall said as he began to walk toward the elevator.   
"Oh, and Adalia? No hard feelings right?" Adalia nodded her head to indicate  
there were none. "Good, it was nice meeting you, Adalia."  
  
"Wait," Adalia said, and Squall turned to face her, "Where is Seifer?"  
  
Squall's disposition suddenly turned threatening. "He was sent to  
Galbadia's District Prison for an eventually trial and hopefully execution."  
  
Adalia gasped, and Squall just continued on his way. "Seifer," she  
muttered, then looked at Nida. When Squall was out of earshot, Adalia said "We  
have to save Seifer. It was my fault he was captured."  
  
"We're not rescuing Seifer. The man is a menace, and the fact that he  
showed up here with a sorceress as well as faking Rinoa Heartilly's kidnapping  
means the trial will just progress that much faster." Nida stated.  
  
"Fine, if you won't help me rescue Seifer, then I'll just have to do it myself!"   
Adalia said matter-of-factly. Nida looked at her and was about to voice an  
objection when he saw the look in her eyes, then just sighed. He wondered if  
there would be a day when he would be able to say no to her.  
  
"Well, I guess I'll come along," Nida said, and Adalia beamed a megawatt  
smile at him. "Shall I show you to your room?"  
  
* * * * *  
  
It was 12 at night and Nida couldn't get to sleep, which was strange because  
Nida never had trouble sleeping. He was just wandering around the halls of the  
dormitory when suddenly he began to ear someone singing.  
  
'Who is that?' Nida thought as he resumed his walk. The song got louder  
and louder until Nida stood outside the dorm room with the voice filtering through.  
  
Nida knocked on the door and stood outside for a few seconds before he  
opened the door and stepped inside. 'This room looks familiar' Nida thought to  
himself as he walked into the sectioned off part of the dorm room which  
contained the bed. Nida was shocked when he saw Adalia sitting there with tears  
in her eyes and the hauntingly beautiful song on her lips.  
  
"Nida, what are you doing here?" Adalia asked gently.  
  
"I couldn't sleep, so I decided to go for a walk. That's when I heard you  
singing, but I didn't know it was you and..." Nida started, but was cut off by Adalia  
holding a finger up to his lips to silence him.  
  
"Could you stay here tonight Nida? It gets awfully lonely in here. I'll sleep  
on the floor and you could take the bed." Adalia offered.  
  
"I'll sleep on the floor, you can have the bed." Then, after a pause, Nida  
said, "You miss her, don't you? I used to have a mother as well, but she left me  
when I was young."  
  
"My mother is an amazing woman. But how did you know I missed her?"   
Adalia asked.  
  
Nida just shrugged. "You know what? I don't know. I just said what felt  
right."  
  
"My mother taught me this song," Adalia started after a brief silence, "I sing  
it whenever I'm lonely, and it reminds me of her."  
  
"It's a beautiful song," Nida complemented.  
  
"Thank you," Adalia said.  
  
"The only reminder I have of my parents is my broad sword," Nida started,  
"But I guess it's the sort of impersonal gift that I'm most likely to receive anyways.   
Nobody really even knows me, much less the things I like and dislike."  
  
"I think you're wrong Nida. Your parents probably knew that you would go  
in the military or something like that and they wanted to give you something you  
could use. You're not as much of a loner as you think," Adalia told him looking  
hm square in the eyes.  
  
"You know, I've never thought of my parent's present like that before.   
Thank you for helping me see it that way, Adalia." Nida thanked.  
  
"It was nothing. Do you suppose we should be getting to sleep now?"   
Adalia asked.  
  
"Sounds good to me Adalia, sounds good to me."  
  
* * * * *  
  
The detective flew his aircraft towards Esthar, hoping to make it before the  
air station closed for the night.  
  
He was furious at the Garden's Commander for letting the sorceress go, and  
he was about to do something about it.  
  
Esthar, it had been awhile since he had been there. Not since Sorceress  
Adel had killed his family and exiled him under false pretenses. Because of this,  
John Wallace had decided to go on a quest to eliminate all sorceresses dangerous  
to society.  
  
John landed his aircraft and stood outside, watching the sun set. 'Watch  
out Adalia' John thought, 'For I will bring an end to you!'  
  
  
________________________________________________________________________________  
Author's Notes: Yes, I know this chapter was slow in the plot development  
department, but the next chapter will be 100 times more exciting, I swear it!  
  



	5. 

Chapter 4  
  
Every time, I'm close to you  
There's too much I can't say  
And you just walk away...  
  
And I forgot to tell you, I love you.  
And the night's too long, and cold here without you  
I grieve in my condition, for I cannot find the   
strength to say I need you so  
Sarah McLachlan  
I Love You  
  
  
Squall Leonhart trudged to his room, which was just a section of his office,  
with Rinoa haunting his thoughts. He longer for her to be there, to tell him that his  
decision about Adalia was right.  
  
Adalia; she reminded Squall of Rinoa so much, yet Adalia acted so strange  
at times. Squall wondered what the story was behind that girl, for it always  
seemed girls like that had a long and complicated past. He would ask Nida about  
it later.   
  
Squall looked over at the bed, and was sadden when he saw the unrumpled  
sheets on Rinoa's side of it.  
  
'Rinoa, I'll find you, I promise.' Squall vowed silently to himself.  
  
* * * * *  
  
John Wallace made a fast pace towards the Presidential Palace, receiving  
many strange looks and whispers from the citizens of Esthar. 'Let them gossip,'  
he thought, 'Little do they know there is a sorceress who may decide to take over  
this city as Adel did so long ago.'  
  
The streets of Esthar were bustling with life, as millions of people traversed  
the shopping mall and surrounding area, completely oblivious of the potential  
danger that hovered of their city and the one man who could stop it.  
  
John Wallace finally reached the Presidential Palace, and stood in silent awe,  
staring at it. 'It hasn't changed a bit,' he thought with a grin. He walked over to  
the teleporter and sat down patiently, waiting for the ride to be over. When the  
teleporter came to a stop, John stood up and strode directly towards the  
President's quarters, but was stopped by the guards outside the door.  
  
"State your name please." One of the soldiers addressed him mechanically.   
  
John knew this drill. "John Wallace."  
  
"Sorry sir, but you don't have an appointment at this time. If you'll just go  
over to the waiting room you can fill out some forms and..." the soldier started,  
but was rudely interrupted by John.  
  
"Filling out forms at a time like this? This could be a national emergency!   
Get me the President!" John yelled, his voice raising with each point he made.   
  
Suddenly, the door burst open behind the soldiers and the President  
stepped out with a cross look on his face. The soldiers immediately saluted, and  
Laguna glared at them. "What is the meaning of all this?" he asked, his eyes  
darting between the pair of soldiers and John Wallace.  
  
"President, there's a matter of urgent nature that I have to tell you about  
right now." John told him before the soldiers could say anything.  
  
"Hmmm...come into my office." Laguna said, and with that turned on his  
heel and strode inside.  
  
John walked in and saw two other men in there, dressed in official advisor's  
garb. One had a thick, blonde beard and the other was a man with long braids  
cascading down his back. 'Where do they find these people?' John asked himself.  
  
"Mr. President, I have arrived here from Balamb Garden to inform you of..."  
John started but was interrupted by Laguna.  
  
"Balamb Garden? They are our friends and allies. I see. Continue." Laguna  
prompted, and was the recipient of a puzzled look from John, then a quick gain of  
his composure.  
  
"Yes, I am here to tell you that there is a sorceress in Balamb Garden." John  
said triumphantly.  
  
"Of course there is. Her name is Rinoa Heartilly and a good friend of mine.   
What are you getting at?" Laguna asked, a bit of weariness evident in his voice.  
  
"No Mr. President. This is a different sorceress," John began and Laguna  
raised his eyebrows in curiosity. "Her name is Adalia and she was found waltzing  
into the Garden with Seifer Alsmay and a SeeD."  
  
"Where is Seifer Alsmay now?" Laguna asked, a sudden fear overtook him,  
like a hand grasping his heart.  
  
  
"He has been sent to Galbadia District Prison. But the sorceress remains at  
large and inside Balamb Garden. I think military action is in order." John ended  
with a smug look upon his face.  
  
"That is not for you to decide," Laguna said coldly. "Thank you Mr..."  
  
"Wallace. John Wallace."  
  
"Mr. Wallace. We will deal with this situation as we see fit." Laguna told  
John, who was growing angrier at the minute. John shot Laguna and evil look,  
then stormed out the door.  
  
"What are we going to do Laguna?" Kiros asked, looking on after John.  
  
"We're going to send a transmission to Balamb Garden to confirm if there is  
a sorceress there," Laguna stated in his best military voice. "If what Mr. Wallace  
says is true, then we shall send an armed escort to bring her here and seal her  
powers."  
  
"And if they refuse to let her go?" Kiros asked.  
  
Laguna frowned. "Let us hope it does not come to that."  
  
* * * * *   
  
Adalia awoke just as the sun rose over the horizon. She blinked a few times  
to better see her surroundings, then remembered where she was. She swung her  
feet over the side of the bed, and they came into contact with a warm body. She  
remembered that Nida had been sleeping there, and just sat still for a few  
moments, watching him. He looked so handsome, and yet so vulnerable at the  
same time. A lock of hair fell on to his face, and Adalia was compelled to brush it  
away.  
  
Suddenly, Nida stirred, opened his eyes and looked at Adalia. "Good  
morning," she greeted him, "Today's the day we rescue Seifer."  
  
Nida groaned and pretended to go back to sleep, which resulted in Adalia  
getting up, grabbing a glass of water, and dumping it on his face.  
  
"Hey! What's the big idea?" Nida yelled as he felt the cold liquid drip diwn  
his face as he sat up.  
  
"We have to leave soon, before anybody knows we're gone." Adalia told  
him.  
  
  
"It's a bit too late for that." said a voice in the doorway. Adalia whirled  
around and came face to face with an angry looking Squall.  
  
Squall had been woken when Esthar had sent them a transmission,  
demanding the sorceress and said that dire consequences would result if she  
wasn't handed over at once. Squall didn't want to hand her over to Esthar, but he  
also didn't want a war to erupt between Balamb Garden and Esthar while most of  
the SeeDs were off on another continent.  
  
"Adalia, we received a transmission from Esthar this morning. They are  
sending an armoured vehicle over to pick you up at 0700 hours. I'm sorry Adalia,  
but it's you or this entire Garden." Squall finished, feeling exhausted.  
  
Nida stood up, his hair in a mess and water dripping down his face.   
"What?!" he asked, sounding outraged. "Why are you just laying down and giving  
Esthar what they want? Adalia isn't dangerous, she has Odine's Bracelet on her.   
She hasn't done anything to anyone!"  
  
"Nida, you of all people should know why I'm doing this." Squall said.   
Suddenly, he seemed older than his 17 years. He was like an old man trapped in  
the body of a younger one. Such was the price he paid for saving the world and  
becoming the Commander of Garden. "Most of our SeeDs are on another  
continent. We can't afford to have them attack us. We would be taken out."  
  
"Then let us leave, Squall," Nida reasoned, "Just let us go off and say you  
couldn't stop us."  
  
Squall heaved a deep sigh. "Nida, if they knew we let the sorceress slip  
through our fingers then they'd attack us. This is a no win situation."  
  
Nida looked over at Adalia, who seemed to be strangely quiet. She seemed  
to be focussing her energy, like she did when she was on the chocobos. She  
opened her closed eyes and they flashed a canary yellow, and all of a sudden, the  
wall beside Squall imploded. Squall jumped back to be clear of the explosion.  
  
"Run!" Adalia yelled, and bolted toward the hole. Nida grabbed his broad  
sword and followed suit. 'It was a good thing we both fell asleep in our clothes,'  
Nida thought as he ran down the halls of the dormitory.  
  
"Follow me!" Nida yelled when he caught up with Adalia at the main hall of  
the dormitories. Adalia nodded and ran after Nida, with Squall in hot pursuit.  
  
Suddenly, there was a crackling noise as all the intercoms in the Garden  
came to life. "Students of Garden, this is Squall, we have two suspects fleeing  
from the dormitory, capture them at all costs."  
  
Nida looked over his shoulder and saw Squall had brought his transmitter  
with him, which allowed him to broadcast things over the intercoms of Balamb  
Garden no matter where he was in the Garden. "Shit," Nida cursed as a bunch of  
students ran out in front of them, blocking their path.   
  
Nida unsheathed his broadsword, and started swinging wildly at the  
assembly of people there. Fortunately, they were mostly junior class men and  
none of them were suicidal, so they all jumped out the way of Nida's blade,  
allowing Nida and Adalia to pass through.  
  
The halls were filling up with students quickly, and some of then were  
unsheathing their weapons in order to duel with Nida. Nida knew that after too  
long they wouldn't be able to make any more headway. "Hang on Adalia, almost  
there!" He yelled at her, swinging and injuring a student who wanted to test to fury  
of the SeeD.  
  
Nida suddenly sheathed his broad sword and booted in towards the parking  
lot, with Adalia hot on his heels. Squall, who had been following them very closely  
all this time, shouted into his transmitter "Stop them! They're heading to the  
parking lot!" This, of course, prompted all the students in the halls to run towards  
the parking lot. There were many other SeeDs closer than Squall to the parking  
lot, and they all gave chase, causing Squall to slow down and eventually lose  
them, but not the pack of blood thirsty SeeDs.  
  
"They're gaining on us!" Adalia yelled to Nida. Nida knew that his plan of  
action would only work if one element came into play, otherwise they would be  
overwhelmed by the students with fresher legs.   
  
Lady Luck was smiling on them that day, and Nida saw a car sitting there,  
full of gas and ready to go on a mission a bunch of students were embarking on  
that day. "Jump in!" Nida ordered as he ran around to the other side. He jumped  
in and closed the door and Adalia sat in the seat beside him.   
  
Nida looked over and saw that the keys were in the ignition. "Man, this  
seems almost too easy." He said as he turned the keys and the car roared to life.   
He changed the gears as quickly as he could and stepped on the gas. The car  
lurched forward, just as the students got close to the car.  
  
Nida looked in the rearview mirror and saw several of the students jump  
into the 5 or so other vehicle in the parking lot. "We're going to have company."   
Nida told Adalia as he took the first turn of the winding road to Balamb at 100 km  
an hour.  
  
"I'll take care of them." Adalia told him as she rolled down the window,  
turned around in the seat, and stuck her head and her shoulder out the window.   
The hand that was still inside grasped a special bar that was installed in all  
Garden's cars for exactly that purpose.  
  
Adalia faced the cars behind them, and felt her sorceress powers urge  
through her. If she was looking at herself in a mirror, she knew her eyes would be  
a bright yellow. She raised her arm above her head and felt her power pool at her  
fingertips. She then brought her arm down in a smooth downward arc and  
released the spell from her body. It flew straight toward the car behind them, and  
then the car burst into flames and careened off the road.  
  
The next car up had more aggressive passengers. The student on the  
passenger side stuck his head and arm out the window much like Adalia was and  
began firing at the tires of the stolen car. Adalia started to cats another spell, but  
a bullet in her arm sent her back inside the car, blood beginning to seep from her  
arm. "Damn." she muttered, cradling her wounded arm.  
  
"Here, you take the wheel!" Nida said as he began to roll down his window.  
  
"I don't know how!" Adalia cried, starting to feel useless.  
  
"It's easy. I'll change the gears and such. You just steer the car." He said  
to her as he pulled a gun from the sun visor above his head.  
  
Adalia nodded and grabbed the wheel as Nida leaned out the window and  
began firing on the car behind him. He took out the student on the passenger's  
side almost immediately, then took out the one driving the car. The car slowed  
down as the weight on it shifted, and the car behind it smashed into it, sending  
them both off the road. Now there were only two cars left.  
  
Nida began to fire at the cars, but then he realized that the gun he had had  
run out of bullets. "F*ck!" he yelled as he sat back down on the seat and took the  
wheel from Adalia.  
  
They were at the entrance to Balamb now, and the gates were rapidly being  
closed. 'Garden must have radioed ahead' Nida thought to himself as he stepped  
on the accelerator. The distance between the gate and the wall was quickly  
diminishing, but Nida got in just in time, the sound of scratching paint from both  
sides of the car ringing in his ears.  
  
He slowed down enough to make the turn that lead to Balamb Station, and  
he hit the brake just at the steps that lead up to the station. "Let's go!" he said to  
Adalia as he spotted the train begin to start it's journey towards Timber.  
  
They both got out and pushed past a rather surprised looking station  
attendant and stood by the train tracks, with the train beginning to pick up speed.   
"When I say 3, we jump!" Nida yelled to Adalia over the roar of the train's engines.   
"3!" They both jumped and landed on the caboose, just as the students from  
Balamb Garden ran up the steps.  
  
* * * * *  
  
It was now mid-afternoon, and Nida and Adalia sat in their room on the  
train. It seemed Lady Luck had been good to them once more that day, for there  
was a doctor on the train who patched up Adalia's arm.  
  
"Does your arm still hurt?" Nida asked Adalia, concern on his face.   
  
"A little." She admitted, not wanting to appear weak.  
  
"Don't worry about what happened back there. Without you we would have  
never got out of the dormitory in the first place." Nida told her.  
  
Adalia smiled. "Thanks Nida,"  
  
A sudden jolt from the train resulted in the cups on the table nearby to fall  
on the floor and shatter. They both went over, got on their knees and began to  
pick up the pieces of glass. They got all of it into a nearby trash can, but there  
were a few random pieces on the floor.  
  
Adalia reached over to grab a piece of glass, when Nida went and reached  
for the same one. Their hands brushed against each other, and they were both  
startled, and looked each other in the eyes. Adalia grinned a little, not sure of  
what else to do.  
  
Nida had a serious look on his face, but it was also mixed with something  
that Adalia had never seen before. He reached over and grasped her hand.  
  
Adalia was a bit flustered by this and stood up. Nida followed suit, still  
holding on to her hand, and reached for the other one. They looked each other  
square in the eyes, both knowing what happened next.  
  
Nida leaned in closer, and Adalia closed her eyes. She felt his breath on her  
face, then his soft lips touching hers.  
  
______________________  
Author's Note: Wow, I didn't think I'd be able to pull off the whole romantic scene  
thing. And this chapter is proof that I don't lie; since in the last chapter I said  
chapter 4 would be 100 times more exciting. I'll probably post the next chapter  
next weekend. Ciao for now! 


	6. The Finding

Chapter 5  
  
There's no more coming back this way,  
The path is overgrown and strewn with thorns,  
They've torn the lifeblood from your naked eyes,  
Cast aside to be forlorn.  
Sarah McLachlan  
The Path of Thorns   
  
Laguna Loire, President of Esthar, the most technologically advanced country in the world, sat in  
an unbelieving stupor. He couldn't believe that that Wallace character was right, and on top of  
that, there were reports that Garden let the sorceress get away with a SeeD escort.  
  
"So what are we going to do?" Kiros asked, snapping Laguna out of his silent state.  
  
"I think we should have a conference with the Garden's Commander before we decide on a  
course of action. Maybe we can have their assistance in finding the rogue sorceress." Laguna  
replied with a hopeful look in his eyes. He hated war of all kinds, even though he was a veteran  
of the First Sorceress War.  
  
"That may be a good plan of action, but by the time the Garden's Commander gets here, the  
Estharian people may find out that there is a sorceress running amuck. It would cause almost an  
overnight panic in the citizens of the city. There is also the huge possibility that Mr. Wallace  
could tell the people himself. He did leave here pretty mad, you know." Kiros pointed out.  
  
Laguna looked over at Ward, and saw the conflicted expression upon his face which Laguna  
most certainly reflected back at him. "Well, we could pay Garden to keep quiet." Laguna  
suggested.  
  
"But what about Mr. Wallace?" Kiros asked.  
  
Laguna frowned and thought deeply for a few minutes. "I think it would be best," Laguna said  
slowly, "If we lock him up. That way he couldn't tell anyone but the prison guards."  
  
"If he resists?" Kiros asked, fulfilling his role of being the sensible one.  
  
"Then we take him out." Laguna stated, a slight hurt look on his face. "I would hate for it to  
come to that though. But it's either him or Esthar."  
  
"Good call Laguna." Kiros said in grim satisfaction. The only thing that worried Kiros about  
that Wallace character now was if he told anybody yet.  
  
"Kiros, give the order to send an invitation to the Garden's Commander. If he replies back and  
agrees, send an escort to pick him up. But if he refuses..." Laguna just sort of died off, leaving  
what he meant hanging in the air.  
  
  
"I understand Laguna," Kiros said as he left the room, leaving Ward and Laguna to talk about  
what to do and say at the conference.  
  
* * * * *  
  
John Wallace had strode out of the Presidential Palace full of spite and thirsting for revenge. If  
Laguna Loire wouldn't do something about this sorceress, the he would have to do something  
himself.  
  
He trekked back to the Air Station, whereupon he got into his craft and flew, despite the angry  
protests of the air traffic controllers below. He looked up and saw why they were yelling.  
  
The Ragnarok was barrelling straight towards him, with no sign of slowing down. "Shit!" he  
exclaimed as he yanked to controls to the hard right. The Ragnarok blew past him, so close that  
John could hear the metal hulls of the space crafts scrape past each other.  
  
John Wallace felt his rage build, as he piloted the craft towards Trabia.  
  
When he arrived there, he was shocked to find that only Trabia Garden was there, not Balamb.   
He groaned and then spun the craft around and headed for Balamb. 'Damn, that Garden moves  
fast,' he muttered to himself.   
  
When he arrived at Balamb, John landed his air craft outside the Garden, then got out and set a  
fast pace towards the front entrance. He checked his belt and saw that the pistol was still there,  
the soon-to-be instrument of Adalia's death.  
  
John stalked up to the front entrance, and stopped to talk with the old man at the front 'desk'.   
"Is there a sorceress here?" John asked, wheezing because he was out of breath.  
  
"Nope," the old man said with a slight smile. "She got away early this morning. Quite a ruckus  
she caused if you ask me. They have SeeDs all over the world on alert for her should she show  
up."  
  
"Really?" John asked with a slight snarl, "Then I guess I'll have to find her myself."  
  
* * * * *  
  
Squall Leonhart landed the Ragnarok in the Air Station, then jumped into a nearby escort vehicle  
for the ride to the Palace. The Garden had received the transmission just a mere ten minutes  
before, and Squall (refusing to wait for an escort) took the Ragnarok and made haste for Esthar.   
He wanted to clear up everything between Garden and Esthar before a war broke out.  
  
They arrived at the Presidential Palace, and Squall took the lift to the main building. He jumped  
off the lift before it even stopped, and made his way to the office of the President.  
  
  
He threw open the doors (much to the horror of the two guards standing there) and walked into  
the office. He noticed that Kiros wasn't there and he wondered why, for he thought that the  
three men were attached at the hip.  
  
"Squall! How good of you to come!" Laguna said with false cheer in his voice. Squall just  
glowered at him and said nothing. "You do know why you're here, correct?" Laguna asked, not  
wanting to explain things.  
  
"Yeah, they told me everything when they sent the transmission. So why do you want me here?"  
Squall asked, wondering what good a Garden full of junior class men would be to the President  
of Esthar.  
  
"I want your help in finding the sorceress." Laguna said, leaning over his desk.   
  
"Yeah? And what's in it for us?" Squall asked, not feeling threatened by this man.  
  
"Peace." Laguna said simply, and Squall raised an eyebrow. "You see Squall, they way we  
figured is all of your SeeDs were off on another continent trying to resolve the potential outbreak  
of war, and it'd be hard for you to war against us."  
  
Squall was stunned. Is this the same Laguna that Squall had been sent into the past to see? "Ok  
then, we'll help you, but on a condition. One of our SeeDs was...captured by this sorceress. I  
don't want him harmed in any way. Do we have a deal?" Squall asked and outstretched his  
hand.  
  
"Deal." Laguna said as he took Squall's hand and shook it.  
  
* * * * *  
  
The train lurched to a stop, with Nida and Adalia still holding on to one another. "We should go  
before we're found out," Adalia whispered.  
  
"Yeah," Nida said and nodded his head in agreement. They snuck out of the door behind two  
rich people with very big fur coats, and stood outside in the fresh morning air. "We have to  
board another train if we want to get to the prison today, or we could play it low and walk the  
fields, but there's also the danger of monsters." Nida told Adalia.  
  
She shivered at the thought of something else like the Ruby Dragon battle. "I think we should  
take the trains." She told him, then with a mischievous glint in her eyes, "Besides, I've come to  
like trains."  
  
Nida felt a blush rise in his cheeks, then changed the subject. "Well, if we want to catch the  
next train, we had better run. It leaves in 5 minutes." Nida took off running after that with  
Adalia close on his heels.   
  
  
People stopped to watch the stunning beautiful couple run through the streets. Their laughter at  
the sheer weirdness of it all bounced off the walls of the buildings that lined the street. They  
arrived at the station and pushed their way past a rather flustered attendant, then rushed into a  
room and shut the door.  
  
"He'll never find us in here." Adalia giggled as she thought of the angry attendant.  
  
"Excuse me, but what do you think you're doing in my room?" a voice asked. They whirled  
around and saw a woman sitting on the couch, her head rested on her hand, staring right at them.   
Raven-black hair streaked with blonde highlights cascaded down to just past her shoulders. Two  
chocolate brown eyes stared at them with a bit of amusement. She wore clothing the colour of  
the sky on a clear summer day, and a necklace with two bands around it. Beside her sat a dog,  
growling softly at the visitors. He looked like a border collie cross with all his darl markings.  
  
"Rinoa! I've found you!" Nida exclaimed, beginning to feel very elated. This was turning out to  
be his lucky few days.  
  
Rinoa furrowed her brow for a minute, trying to remember where she had saw this man before.   
"Nida! It's good to see you again! How is everyone at the Garden been?" she asked as though  
they were old friends.  
  
"Squall's been worried sick about you. I was sent out to find you, but I didn't think that I'd find  
you in a place like this." Nida told her.  
  
"Hmm...well, I can't go back yet. The Forest Owls are launching an attack against the District  
Prison to free the mayor of Timber. It took us forever to come up with a plan, and now we have  
to set it in motion." Rinoa said, then she looked at Adalia, who was just standing there quietly.   
"I don't think I've ever seen you before. Who are you?"  
  
"I'm Adalia," she said haughtily, "I'm on a quest with Nida to free Seifer Alsmay from this  
District Prison of yours, then I have to go on a quest to find the Angel Wing."  
  
"Angel Wing?" Rinoa asked, puzzled.  
  
"Umm...Adalia? This is the Angel Wing." Nida said, beginning to feel a little silly for not  
introducing them properly.  
  
"You're the Angel Wing?!" Adalia asked in disbelief.  
  
"I am?" Rinoa asked, feeling confused.  
  
Suddenly, Adalia's vision began to blur. She tried to open her mouth to say something to Nida,  
but was held immobile. She tried to resist, but the invisible binding around her was so strong  
she could hardly breathe. Adalia, Hyne's voice rang in her ear, This is the second and last part  
of your mission. Kill the accursed Angel Wing and take her powers, so that no more sorceresses  
will roam the land. After you accomplish this, you can come home.  
  
Slowly, Adalia's vision cleared and she looked back at Nida's worried eyes and Rinoa's slightly  
amused ones. 'No,' she thought to herself, 'I can't kill her. She's the Commander's loved one.   
It would be a favour to Squall. But then again, I can't disobey Hyne, she's the one who raised  
me and made me ageless. What do I do?'  
  
"Adalia, are you ok?" Nida asked, concern evident in his voice.  
  
"Yeah, I'll be fine." she replied.  
  
"Well, if you two are going to the District Prison too, then may I suggest that we go together?   
As long as you two don't get in the way of Watts and Zone, then everything will run smoothly.   
As soon as the alarm sounds, just find Seifer and get hin out of there, ok?" Rinoa said, changing  
the subject.  
  
Nida and Adalia nodded in unison, then a voice sounded over the intercom "Galbadia Station,  
end of the line. Everyone depart safely and have a nice day."  
  
"You think they could hire a conductor with a personality," Rinoa said to them, and smiled at  
her own little joke.  
  
The trio got off the train and were met by five other men, all wearing dark clothing and carrying  
semi-automatic machine guns in their coats that were so large you could see the top of the gun  
poke out the top of the group's trench coats and then a little at the bottom. These people were  
also armed to the teeth with a belt of grenades and ammo clips, as well as a backup pistol hidden  
in their shoe. Adalia could have seen all this even without her heightened sorceress senses.  
  
"Let's move." Rinoa said in a quiet voice and the group began to trek across the sea of sand that  
surrounded the Prison. When they reached the entrance, the group of five pulled out their semis,  
Rinoa pulled out her Shooting Star, Nida pulled out his broad sword, and Adalia began to focus  
her sorceress energy, her eyes glowing a illustrious yellow. Rinoa looked over at Adalia and was  
in shock with what she saw. 'Adalia is a sorceress too?' she thought to herself, then shook off  
the thought. There were more important things to worry about at the moment.  
  
"Go!" she yelled as the group of five people barged in through the door to the visitation area  
with their guns blazing. They took down the guard that guarded the door to the rest of the  
prison, then ran through the door to where they found the area with all the cells.   
  
Suddenly, a red light began to flash and an alarm began to sound, along with a voice over the  
intercom warning the soldiers that someone had broken in and the anti-magic field had been  
lifted. They also said something about destroying the intruders, but Nida wasn't sure of the  
exact words.  
  
A group of soldiers ran towards the eight of them, but most of them were cut down by machine  
gun fire. Rinoa shot off her Shooting Star, and Adalia released a death spell against the  
remaining soldier, killing him instantly.  
  
"Ok you two, you're on your own. Forest Owls, let's move!" Rinoa yelled over the blaring  
alarm. The six of them left, leaving Nida and Adalia just standing there like idiots.  
  
"What do we do now?" Adalia yelled over the alarm.  
  
"There has to be a directory of the cell mates somewhere. I think we should find it." Nida  
replied, still yelling.  
  
They looked around, and low and behold, there was a big sign that said directory in big, bright  
letters. "It doesn't get any easier than that!" Nida yelled as he began to run towards the room.   
Nida threw open the door, where he found three guards just lounging around. He quickly  
slashed the first one before he could grab a weapon. The two other guards grabbed their swords  
and began to duel with Nida. Although Nida was the best swordsman that there was (he had  
several international trophies to prove it) he found that these guards had fairly good skills and he  
couldn't hold them off for long.  
  
Suddenly, a thundaga spell hit one of the guards, knocking him to the ground. The other guard  
was surprised when he saw the woman with yellow eyes behind Nida, and Nida took this  
opportunity to slash the guard, taking him down.  
  
"Thanks," Nida said as he went over to one of the directory books and began flipping through it.   
Adalia grabbed another one, and before long she found it.   
  
"He's at the top-most cell, number 459." Adalia told Nida, and they took off outside at a run.   
They stopped and gazed up through the holes in the floors, and Nida groaned when he saw how  
far away the top one was.  
  
"Don't worry about that," Adalia said as her eyes flashed a more intense yellow. She cast a float  
spell, then all of a sudden they were hurtled through the air towards the top of the Prison. Adalia  
moved her arm in one swift motion and they landed at the top floor, with not a scratch between  
them.  
  
"That was good," Nida said nodding as he scanned the top floor. "Over there! Cell number  
459!" They raced over to the cell and looked inside the 5" thick plexiglass window. There sat  
Seifer, sitting on the floor with his arms crossed over his chest and a miserable look on his face.   
Seifer looked up and his eyes widen at the sight of Nida and Adalia standing at the cell door.   
They were yelling and motioning, and Seifer got that they wanted him to stand back. Seifer got  
up and moved towards the back of the cell, as a meteor spell burst the door open.  
  
"It's good to see you again Seifer." Adalia said as she ran up and gave him a hug. Nida felt a  
pang of jealousy, but then realized what she was doing. Nida had paid attention only to Rinoa  
on the train, and this was her petty way of getting back at him. It wasn't like he could blame her  
though.  
  
"It's good to see you too, babe." Seifer said with a huge grin when he saw the look of jealousy  
flash across Nida's face. Seifer leaned down and kissed Adalia, much to her surprise. Nida  
started balling his fists. They had just rescued Seifer and already he was being a pain in the ass.  
  
"Alright then, let's get out of here." Nida said as he walked back towards the huge hole in the  
floor. Adalia and Seifer followed him, Seifer staying close to Adalia's side. Seifer may have  
kissed Adalia just to bother Nida, but Seifer also liked Adalia and he would be damned if he let  
Nida get her without a fight.  
  
"We have to jump, then I'll cast the spell while we're falling." Adalia told them, as she stepped  
closer to the edge. Adalia and Nida jumped at the same time, with Seifer close behind them,  
cursing his luck on the way down. The ground kept rushing and rushing at them, and Nida  
couldn't feel a spell beginning to take effect.  
  
"Adalia, cast the spell already!" Nida yelled through grit teeth.  
  
"I'm trying!" she yelled back. Suddenly, a warm light encompassed Seifer and Nida, slowing  
them down, but Adalia just kept falling.   
  
"Adalia!" Nida yelled as he heard her hit the floor below. He struggled against the spell, but it  
was meant to keep him still as he slowly floated to the ground, followed by Seifer. When he  
reached the ground, the spell broke and he ran over to Adalia. "Curaga!" he yelled, and a warm  
blue light covered Adalia. When the spell stopped, she still wasn't moving.  
  
Nida took her pulse, then looked over at Seifer. "It's faint, but she's still alive. We have to get  
her out of here."  
  
"Lead the way Captain Balamb." Seifer said, referring to a cheesy, old series in which Captain  
Balamb saves the world every week.  
  
Nida picked up Adalia and began to make his way towards the exit. "Oh, and Seifer?" Nida  
said, turning around. "I saw your gunblade in the room over there, the one with the big sign that  
says directory."  
  
Seifer nodded and made his way towards the room Nida was talking about. He looked inside  
and saw his gunblade, sitting up against the wall. Seifer reached inside and grabbed it, thanking  
each and every one of his lucky stars that he was able to get it back again.  
  
Seifer ran back towards Nida with a immense grin on his face. "Almost thought I lost the old  
girl." Seifer commented.  
  
Nida turned and headed out through the visitor's area, to the freedom the outside of the prison  
offered. When he got outside, he did a double take. The Forest Owls were standing around  
outside accompanied by a man in an expensive suit who Nida guessed to be the mayor. "What  
are you guys still doing here?" Nida asked.  
  
"We decided to wait for you. We thought that you might need some help, and that we'd be here  
if anything went wrong..." Rinoa trailed off when she saw that Adalia was lying unconcious in  
Nida's arms. "What happened?"   
  
A man with a black trench coat muscled his way to the front of the group, then moved to stand  
beside Adalia whereupon he began to feel her forehead ad check her pulse. "What are you  
doing?" Nida asked the man, beginning to feel defensive of Adalia.  
  
"I'm a doctor." The man said as he resumed doing various checks on Adalia. When he was  
finished, he straightened up and said: "She'll be fine. She should wake up in a few hours or so."  
  
Nida breathed an audible sigh of relief. 'She was going to be ok, everything is going to be  
alright,' Nida assured himself as he stood in a relaxed position. "So what are we going to do  
now?"  
  
"Catch a train out of here, and fast if we don't want to get caught. Let's move out, people."  
Rinoa ordered as they began the slow trek towards the station,  
  
___________________  
Author's Notes: I expected to get a lot more done in this chapter, but since I didn't the next  
chapter will probably be twice as long or so. Ciao for now! 


	7. The Confrontation

Chapter 6  
  
I've crossed the last line  
From where I can't return  
Where every step I took in faith betrayed me  
And led me from my home.  
Sarah McLachlan  
Sweet Surrender  
  
Nida Kisargi sat next to Adalia's bed, staring at her sleeping form. Seifer and the Forest Owls  
had left the room a few moments before to give Nida a little privacy. A stray wisp of hair fell  
onto Adalia's face, and Nida tenderly brushed it off. Nida looked toward the ceiling, and sent a  
silent prayer to Hyne. 'Hyne, if you're really up there, please let Adalia wake up. She's only  
been out an hour or so, but I miss her so much already. Please, I'll do anything if you let her  
return to this plane of existence . . . to me.'  
  
Adalia moaned, and Nida reached over and grabbed her hand, as if to try to coax her back.   
Adalia opened her eyes, and looked straight into Adalia's. "Welcome back." he said softly.  
  
Adalia's eyes filled with tears, and she reached over and held Nida in her embrace. Her tears  
spilled over when she recalled what Nida said just a few moments, the reason why Hyne had  
brought her back to this place. Adalia remembered the conversation that took place only  
minutes before with the one who created this planet.  
  
~Flashback~ "Adalia, why didn't you slay the Angel Wing when you had the chance? If you  
did, you would have been back here by now." Hyne told her.  
  
"I couldn't have killed her; she's the Commander's significant other. It would be betraying  
him!" Adalia argued.  
  
"So? Do you remember what he did not too long ago? He tried to capture you and that SeeD of  
yours. Had you not gotten away, he would have sent you off to another continent where they  
would have imprisoned you and sealed your powers."  
  
"But if his heart was into sending me away he would have sent me away with that horrible  
detective man. Instead he let me stay long enough to get away. His heart is a true one."  
  
"And this SeeD? If I didn't know better, I'd think you didn't kill the Angel Wing so you could  
still be with him."  
  
"Nida's . . . he's special to me. And I would never hurt him."  
  
"I'll make you a deal, Adalia. If you kill the Angel Wing, I shall make sure that Nida doesn't  
come to any harm."  
  
"You mean that?"  
  
"Yes, but I must warn you. If Nida choses to follow you on this mission, I can't be responsible  
for what happens to him, or you. I'm the reason you got away from that Garden incident in one  
piece, but I cannot keep intervening all the time. You must finish this quest yourself."  
  
"But Hyne, you know that he will follow me. This isn't fair!"  
  
"My will must be done, Adalia, or there will be dire consequences. You have no idea the actions  
you chose could lead to . . ."   
  
"I don't care what they lead to, as long as Nida and I can stay together!"  
  
"Alright, alright. I'll make a new deal. Only if Nida pledges his loyalties to me can he be hurt  
on this new mission."  
  
"Ok, fair enough. Can I see him?"  
  
Hyne moved her arm in a circular motion, and a picture of Nida appeared, kneeling beside  
Adalia's sleeping form. " . . .Please, I'll do anything if you let her return to this plane of  
existence . . .to me."  
  
"No!" Adalia whirled around and faced Hyne. "You made him say that! You tricked me!"  
  
"You are wrong, Adalia." Hyne said softly. "You made him say that."   
  
And with that Adalia had awaken to Nida, weeping for she knew that Hyne had forsaken them.  
  
"Adalia, what's wrong?" Nida asked, looking her in the face.  
  
"I'm...I'm just so happy to be back." she whispered. Nida smiled, then kissed her gently.  
  
"So am I Adalia, so am I."   
  
Suddenly, a jolt from the train jarred them out of each other's embrace. Nida fell back to the  
floor with a thud, then sat up slowly, wincing and rubbing his back. "What was that?"  
  
"I don't know, but I think we should investigate." Adalia said, pushing off her blanket and  
standing up. If Hyne wasn't going to protect them anymore, Adalia figured they should find  
trouble before trouble finds them.  
  
Nida stood up and pulled out his broadsword, then stepped out of the room to where the Forest  
Owls were.  
  
Rinoa stepped up to them, her Shooting Star out and ready for action. "Do you guys know what  
that was?"  
  
"No, but we're going to find out." Nida said grimly.  
  
Rinoa nodded. "Ok Forest Owls, you guys, Seifer, and the mayor are headed for the back of the  
train, while Nida, Adalia and I are heading for the front. If you guys find trouble, call on us for  
backup."  
  
"Wow, you just are totally kicked into leader mode today. Ok guys, let's move out." Zone said,  
his usual stomach aches gone.  
  
The trio made their way through the passenger cars with nothing out of the ordinary, but ran into  
a problem when they reached the passenger car closet to the engine.  
  
"Why does this have to be one of those old-fashioned trains?" Nida groaned when they reached  
the coal car.  
  
"I didn't think this was one of the old school trains when we boarded." Rinoa said, puzzled at  
this unforseen obstacle.  
  
"It doesn't matter." Adalia said, her eyes starting to flash yellow. Suddenly, all the coal that was  
inside the car was lifted into the air, and hovered there, the same speed as the train yet never  
moving.  
  
"Well, alright then, let's go." Nida said as they jumped into the coal car. They walked through  
endless clouds of dust until they finally reached the other side. They jumped onto the engine,  
and were shocked by what they saw.  
  
The conductor lay on the ground dead, a trickle of blood seeping from a gunshot wound to his  
head. Facing them was the detective, his pistol loaded and pointed right at the three of them.  
  
"Don't f*cking move." he ordered, but then on a second thought, said: "Drop your weapons."  
  
Rinoa and Nida obliged, slowly putting down their weapons and rasing their hands to the sky.   
Adalia just stood there, her eyes growing a deeper and deeper yellow by the seconds.  
  
"Don't even think about casting a spell, bitch, or else this lad right here," the detective pointed  
his gun towards Nida, "Won't be around to see the sun set."  
  
"Who are you?" Rinoa asked, having no recollection of ever seeing the man before in her life.  
  
"I'm John Wallace. My mission is to avenge my family by getting rid of all the sorceress that  
live in this world. And since you're here too," John indicated Rinoa, "My dream for peace will  
come true. Only when all the sorceresses are dead can I rest in peace."  
  
"But why kill us? We didn't do anything to you!" Rinoa said, though not entirely sure if Adalia  
had done anything to this man's family or not.  
  
John was confused for a few moments, his brain fuzzy because of his lack of sleep. "Your kind  
did!" he spat out after finally remembering the answer to the question.  
  
"Confusion!" Adalia yelled suddenly, casting the only spell she knew that would prevent him  
from doing harm as well as saving him from harm himself.  
  
John suddenly grew confused, and wondered what he was doing here, pointing a gun at these  
people. Suddenly a vision came to him, and his confusion left. John began to laugh. "I don't  
have to kill you here, all will be accomplished in due course." And with that said, John shot  
himself, his body falling off the engine of the train on to ground below.  
  
The coal floating in the air suddenly came crashing down as Adalia sat down hard. The only  
person she knew that could send visions to people was Hyne, and he definitely wasn't lying  
about having a vision.  
  
"Adalia, are you alright?" Nida asked, looking into her eyes with his own which were clouded  
with concern.  
  
"I'll be fine." Adalia said, yet she wondered if she ever would.  
  
* * * * *  
  
After what seemed like a million train changes and the long ride back, Rinoa, Adalia and Nida  
stood outside of Balamb Garden. The Forest Owls, Seifer and the mayor had returned to  
Timber, whereupon the mayor had immediately declared war or Galbadia, with Dollet as their  
ally.  
  
It had taken a lot of convincing on Rinoa's part to get Nida and Adalia anywhere near Garden,  
but there they were, standing outside of Garden. But something was missing.  
  
"Something's wrong." Nida said, stating the obvious. "There's no activity, no noise coming  
from the Garden whatsoever. You usually have to get pretty far away before you can hear  
yourself think."  
  
"We have to get inside and see what's wrong." Rinoa said before hauling ass towards the  
entrance of Garden. Nida and Adalia followed, matching Rinoa's frantic pace.  
  
When they got inside, they were greeted by a sullen-looking Quistis. "Quistis, where is  
everybody?!" Rinoa asked, starting to feel hysteria closing in.  
  
Quistis looked past her, towards Nida. "Nida, you did this. And that must be the sorceress  
Adalia beside you, correct?"  
  
Nida was dumbfounded. "What are you talking about?" he asked Quistis, a twinge of fear  
creeping into his voice.  
  
"Follow me." was all she said as she walked briskly towards the elevator. She got in and hit the  
button for the top floor, holding the door open for the trio. They stepped in and she let go of the  
door. Silence reigned the whole elevator trip to the office, making Nida and Rinoa feel very  
uncomfortable. Adalia was fine with it; she didn't know what she would have said to the strange  
'Quistis' woman anyway.  
  
They got off at the Commander's office, and Quistis walked over to stand beside Squall. Squall  
was sitting in his desk with his head in his hands. Selphie and Irvine stood to one side of him  
while Quistis stood off to the other. Squall lifted his head, and his spirit was instantly lifted by  
what he saw before him.  
  
Rinoa ran over and gave Squall the warmest embrace one could ever hope to receive, followed  
by tons of kisses all over his face. Squall returned each and every one of them, and only stopped  
when he saw Nida and Adalia standing there, looking awkward.  
  
"Do you two have any idea of what you've done?" Squall began slowly, his voice void of any  
emotion.  
  
Nida and Adalia just looked at each other, wondering what he was talking about. "Look out the  
window." Squall commanded. Nida and Adalia walked around his desk, past a disgusted Irvine  
and a murderous-looking Selphie, to the big bay window that faced the Balamb Plains.   
  
Bodies littered the ground, piled so thick that in some place they were over five feet high. Not  
an inch of the grass below wasn't stained with blood from the conflict. "What happened?"  
asked Nida, feeling sick.  
  
"War happened." Squall stated bluntly. "Esthar just suddenly attacked, even though I thought  
we had settled our differences on Adalia's stay here. We had no warning, and there are only 12  
students left, including every one in this room."  
  
Nida glanced around the room. If Squall was including Nida and himself, then that meant that  
there was only 6 other students that made it. But someone in the room was missing. "Where's  
Zell?" Nida asked, hoping the answer wasn't what he thought it was.  
  
"Zell Dincht is dead. He died an honourable death on the battlefield." Squall said.  
  
Rinoa immediately burst into tears, followed by Selphie and Quistis. Even Irvine had to wipe a  
few away from his eyes. "How . . . why?" Was all that Nida could manage to say.  
  
"You want to know why?" Quistis suddenly burst out, "It's because of that sorceress bitch! If  
she had never came to this Garden, then everyone would still be alive!"  
  
Adalia took a step back in shock. ' This is the work of Hyne. I was a fool to go against her  
wishes. Maybe if I had killed Rinoa then this would have never happened.' Adalia looked over  
at Rinoa and studied her. 'No, if I had killed Rinoa then Nida, Seifer and I would have never  
escaped from Galbadia Prison.'  
  
"Why are you even here?" Irvine asked quietly, most of his face hidden under his cowboy hat.   
"There must be a reason. Your fate and Nida's seems so intricately intertwined. We have  
actually heard a lot about you, Adalia."  
  
"How did you find out about Adalia?" Nida asked, getting defensive.  
  
"The mayor of Timber is practically creating his own religion with her as his god. I think he was  
quite taken by her appearance, and now he's telling all these stories about her over national  
television." Selphie said quietly.  
  
"How would he get those?" Adalia asked. She looked over at Nida and saw that his head was  
hung.  
  
"Umm . . . well . . .while you were out on the train, the mayor was asking about you. I figured I  
could trust him, so I told him some things and . . . well . . ." Nida just trailed off.  
  
Adalia smiled at him. He was so cute. Adalia quickly grew serious, for this was no time for  
those thoughts. "You wish to know why I'm here?"  
  
"Yes, it might explain a few things." Squall said dryly. Adalia noted that she shouldn't say  
anything to offend Squall at the moment for he looked quite angry.  
  
Adalia looked over at Nida, who then seemed to grow a bit pale. 'I know she's here because of  
Hyne,' Nida thought to himself, 'But even I don't know the purpose of her visit.'  
  
"I was originally sent here on a mission to assassinate Rinoa." Adalia started, and was rewarded  
by a look of horror on Rinoa's face and Squall tightened his grip around her, a look of pure evil  
dawning on his face.   
  
"Who wanted you to assassinate Rinoa?" Quistis asked, just barely keeping her emotions in  
check.  
  
"Hyne." Adalia said flatly, knowing they wouldn't believe her.  
  
"Hyne?" Squall asked, but was then interrupted by Irvine before he could say anything more.  
  
"Man, and I thought people were bad when they went crazy, but this is even worse. Sorry to  
break it to you Adalia, but the Great Hyne's been gone for more than one thousand years." Irvine  
said, a mocking tone to his voice.  
  
  
"You are right there, Hyne did leave one thousand years ago, but she didn't go all that far."  
Adalia agreed, feeling a headache start to come on.  
  
"Really? Then do tell, where is she?" Irvine sneered.  
  
"I don't have to take this!" Adalia suddenly snapped. She was sick of the treatment she was  
getting just because she was a sorceress. She was telling the truth, dammit! Adalia turned on  
her heel and started to stalk out, but was stopped by Nida grabbing her arm.  
  
"Adalia, please, just bear with us. We only want to know what is going on." Selphie said before  
Nida could put in his two cents. Nida nodded, then straightened up and let go of Adalia.  
  
Adalia rubbed her arm where he had grabbed it. 'He was so aggressive when he grabbed my arm.   
What is going on?'  
  
"The moon. She lives on the moon." Adalia said finally after a moment of silence.  
  
Irvine snorted. "I can't believe this," he said as he turned around to gaze out te window.  
  
"It makes sense." Adalia argued. "Think about it. The place is so overrun with monsters that no  
human would dare to go there. And it the perfect vantage point, she can watch the world evolve  
and lend a helping hand when it's needed."  
  
Squall closed his eyes, and seemed deep in thought. When he finally opened them, he addressed  
Adalia. "You are the cause of most of the problems down here, if not all. If Hyne sent you here,  
then that must mean you were with Hyne. If we send you up to the moon, will all this chaos  
end?"   
  
"No. It will only end when Rinoa is dead." Adalia said, gazing at Rinoa.  
  
"Or when you are!" Adalia looked over and saw Irvine leaping at her, a poker from the nearby  
fireplace aimed straight at her heart. She ducked and rolled, and Irvine flew over her. He got up  
and began to swing it at her in a rage, and Adalia was just barely missing getting hit each time.   
Adalia felt her power surge, and she released an Ultima spell at Irvine.  
  
Irvine flew backwards into the wall, where he crumpled up into a little ball. "Irvine!" Selphie  
screamed and ran over to him.  
  
"Dr.! We need you up here, quick!" Squall shouted into the intercom. Selphie, meanwhile, was  
over trying to revive Irvine, casting Cure, Cura, Curaga, and any other spells she knew that might  
help him in his condition.  
  
Quistis glared at Adalia and reached for her whip, but then remembered how fast Adalia had cast  
that Ultima spell. She might be fast, but Adalia was faster, and Quistis didn't really want to be  
in Irvine's position.  
  
  
The doctor arrived a few moments later, several other students following her and wheeling a  
stretcher. "Help me put him on here." she ordered the students. They lifted Irvine onto the  
stretcher, then began running towards to Infirmary, Selphie trailing along at Irvine's bedside.  
  
All eyes landed on Adalia's trembling form, and nothing was said for what seemed like eternity.   
"I think," Squall began slowly, not wanting to upset the sorceress. "That we should try to get  
some rest tonight, then try this again in the morning." Squall had stood up slowly while he  
talked, Rinoa silently slipped an arm around his. 'Even Ultimecia wasn't as powerful as this  
sorceress,' Squall thought, glancing at Adalia. 'We are in way over our heads this time.'  
  
"I have a plan." Adalia said quietly, causing all in the room to look at her.  
  
Squall sighed deeply. "Save it until tomorrow Adalia, we are through here." Adalia nodded,  
and, with tears beginning to cloud her vision, walked out of the office.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Adalia sat on the edge of her bed, unable to sleep. After she had left the office, she had come  
straight to the room where she had spent her brief previous stay before. No one had come in to  
check on her or talk to her, and it was nearly midnight. Adalia was feeling terribly lonely.  
  
Suddenly the door opened and Nida stood in the doorway, a solemn look on his face. "Nida!"  
Adalia said excited, standing up. "Why didn't you come to see me sooner?"  
  
Nida said nothing just walked over and sat down beside Adalia. "Adalia," he began slowly. "I  
have something to tell you."  
  
"Yes, what is it?" Adalia asked, suddenly having sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach.  
  
"We can't do this anymore." Nida said simply, without emotion. "We've killed so many people  
with our actions, and now we're endangering others. I'm sorry Adalia." Nida looked into her  
eyes, and saw the hurt that she was trying hard to find. "We can't be together anymore. I'm  
sorry." And with that Nida stood up and strode out of the room, trying hard not to obey the  
impulse to run back into the room and embrace her and tell her that everything would be all  
right. Adalia just sat on her bed and said nothing, silent tears beginning to spill down her  
cheeks.  
  
___________________  
Author's Notes: Sorry all for the lack of updates, but I've been sick for what seems like ever!   
Also, I didn't put in the doctor's name because I honestly don't remember it. Ciao for now! 


	8. The Conclusion

Chapter 7  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own anything except for Adalia, Adalia's Song and the idea for my story.  
  
  
I'm so afraid to love you, more afraid to lose.  
Clinging to a past that doesn't let me chose.  
For once there was a darkness, deep and endless night,  
You gave me everything you had, oh you gave me light.  
And I will remember you, will you remember me?  
Don't let your love pass you by, weep not for the memories.  
Sarah McLachlan  
I Will Remember You  
  
  
Adalia stood at the foot of Lunar Gate, gazing up at the massive structure that would  
prepare the Ragnarok to hurdle her and two other team members into space. That morning,  
Adalia had arisen and informed the others about her plan. She would be sent to the moon with  
the Ragnarok, accompanied by the two team members. When they reached the moon, they were  
to find what Adalia had called "Utopia", the place where Hyne dwelled. It was pretty ironic;  
they would have go through a hell of a lot of monsters to get to paradise. Once they reached  
Utopia, Adalia would try to convince Hyne that she should stay there and Rinoa should be left  
alone.   
  
It was a long shot at best, and Squall spent the entire ride on the Ragnarok there  
convincing Laguna that they needed the Lunar Gate to reattach the booster rockets to the side of  
the Ragnarok to prepare it for it's space flight. Squall also had to convince him that the crew of  
the Ragnarok weren't under a sorceress mind-control spell.  
  
But Adalia stood outside of the compound alone; everyone inside was rushing around to  
reattach the boosters that were taken off after the defeat of Ultimecia. The technicians had  
assured the party that with all the man power they had at their disposal, it would take no more  
than two hours to reattach everything and get it working again.  
  
For nearly two hours, Adalia had been outside all alone to wait. Wait for the man she  
loved to return to her. She held on to the hope that he would return, take her in his arms, and  
everything would be forgiven.  
  
But nobody had come. The only activity Adalia had observed was a herd of migrating  
mesmerize. She would wait here for the full two hours, even though her hope slowly diminished  
with every tick of the watch Rinoa had let her borrow.  
  
Adalia turned and looked at the vast emptiness that encompassed Lunar Gate from all  
sides. A lizard ventured out of it's hole, not twenty yards from where Adalia stood. As she  
watched, a vulture swooped down and grabbed the lizard in it's talons to carry off to it's  
nestlings.  
  
Suddenly, Adalia heard the soft crunch of footsteps behind her, yet she did not turn  
around, for she knew who it was.  
  
"The Ragnarok is ready; Squall says we can leave within five minutes." Rinoa's soft  
voice gently stated.  
  
Adalia closed her eyes, feeling a solitary tear streak down her face. "Okay." she  
whispered, not wanting her voice to reveal her emotions.  
  
The sound of Rinoa walking back toward Lunar Gate's entrance allowed Adalia to open  
her eyes.  
  
The tear that had been sliding down her cheek fell to the dry and cracked ground,  
whereupon it was quickly evaporated into nothingness.  
  
* * * * *   
  
Adalia stood toward the back of the cockpit of the Ragnarok; Squall seated directly in  
front of her beside Rinoa. They were the only people on board; Selphie had stayed behind to  
watch over Irvine's condition and Quistis wasn't sure she could control her rage against Adalia.   
Nida . . . well, nobody knew where Nida had gone. He had been missing since the confrontation  
in Adalia's room and his bed looked like it hadn't been slept in.  
  
"Ground control to Ragnarok, Ragnarok come in." a voice crackled over the static on the  
radio.  
  
"Ground control, this is Ragnarok. We've made all the necessary adjustments and are  
good to go." Squall replied in his best mock space pilot voice. Rinoa giggled nervously at  
Squall's attempt to lighten the mood which seemed to permeate into their every action.  
  
"Roger that, Ragnarok. Prepare for hangar opening in three, two, on . . ." The voice on  
the radio was quickly silenced by a bomb being dropped on to the main control room area of  
Lunar Gate, that was quickly approaching the hangar where the Ragnarok sat. The deceased had  
managed to hit the hangar opening button, but the door was creeping open slowly as the  
explosions grew nearer and nearer.  
  
"What was that?!?!" Rinoa asked, unable to keep the fear out of her voice.  
  
"I don't know, but let's get the hell out of here!" Squall yelled as he hit a few buttons on  
the Ragnarok's control panel then pulled up on the "wheel" that was located in front of him.  
  
"Squall, those doors aren't going to open in time! We're gonna hit!" Rinoa yelled as she  
curled into a fetal position in her seat. The Ragnarok shot out of the hangar, the doors scraping  
each side just as flames exploded into the hangar.  
  
They levelled off and began to circle the burning wreck of Lunar Gate to determine the  
cause of the explosion and were met by a hail of gunfire, seeming to come from all directions at  
once, yet no enemy craft was in sight.  
  
Squall turned around the Ragnarok and came face-to-face with two enemy aircraft and  
one helicopter. The aircraft ceased fire, and a man that was seated next to the open door of the  
helicopter held a megaphone up to his mouth. "Crew of the Ragnarok, release the sorceress into  
our custody and the Galbadian army may let you live."  
  
"The Galbadian army?" Rinoa asked, puzzled. "What would they want with Adalia?"  
  
"Who says it's me they want?" Adalia shot back out of anger and fear.  
  
"I think I know what's going on." Squall said calmly, as though he faced situations like  
this everyday. "I never sent out the order to the rest of the SeeDs that Adalia is our ally. They're  
still operating under the order I previously gave them."  
  
"The people in those craft are SeeDs?!?!" Adalia asked, shocked.  
  
"That means we're safe," Rinoa said with a sigh of relief, "They won't shoot down their  
own Commander."  
  
"Don't be too sure." Squall cautioned. "SeeDs are trained to complete their mission at  
all costs."  
  
"We've waited long enough for your reply, Ragnarok." The man with the megaphone  
said. "Now we have no choice. Open fire men!" Another stream of bullets began to careen  
through the air towards the Ragnarok.  
  
"Enough of this!" Squall yelled as he piloted the Ragnarok towards space. The other  
aircraft started to follow, but stopped after a particularly large blast rocked the Ragnarok. A  
warning light sent red swirls of light throughout the cockpit and was accompanied by an  
incessant beeping.   
  
"They hit the fuel pod!" Squall whirled around in his chair to face Adalia, letting Rinoa  
take over the controls. "Adalia! You have to go down and fix the fuel pod!"  
  
"What?!" Adalia exclaimed. "I don't know anything about this ship, let alone the fuel  
pod!"  
  
"Just use your magic, Adalia." Rinoa answered calmly, an amazing feat since she was  
frantically hitting millions of buttons at once. "I'm sure you'll find a way."  
  
Adalia nodded and ran over to the elevator, hitting the down button as she turned around.  
  
When the elevator stopped, Adalia looked around and saw doorways in all directions.   
Just totally relying on fate to dictate her actions, she ran through the doorway directly in front of  
her, leading her to a walkway.  
  
Adalia continued to run forward, but was stopped by a strong arm that had wrapped  
around her waist. She whirled around to come face-to-face with the greenest pair of eyes she  
had ever seen. "Nida . . .?"  
  
A lock of Nida's dark hair fell on to his face, and Adalia brushed it away with shaking  
fingers.  
  
"You need a suit to get into the room where the fuel pod's located. The hole may have  
went all the way through the pod, making the room an airless environment. I'll help you suit  
up." Nida told her, his eyes staying locked on her's the whole time.  
  
"Why are you . . .? And how did you . . .?" Adalia tried to ask, but it seemed that the air  
had been sucked out of her lungs just being in his presence.  
  
"I overheard you guys talking in the cockpit. The hull's covering may be ultra thick, but  
the walls between the rooms are paper thin." Nida explained, as he entered a combination into a  
locked cabinet that was nearby.  
  
"But why . . . why . . . and how?!" Adalia struggled to get out, while tears threatened to  
spill over once again that day.  
  
"I snuck aboard the Ragnarok as soon as I realized. Adalia, I don't know what it is about  
you, but I . . ." Nida started, but was interrupted by Adalia.  
  
"Save it til we're back on solid ground." She said gently as she began to suit up with the  
astronaut's suit Nida had unlocked from the cabinet. "We have more immediate issues at hand."  
  
Nida nodded, and began to help Adalia so it went faster. When they were done, Nida  
walked over to the button that would open the door to the fuel pod room and nodded. Adalia  
would have to quickly run through the door and have Nida shut it after her so the air in the rest  
of the Ragnarok would remain there.  
  
Adalia nodded, and Nida hit the button, holding his breath as he did so. Adalia quickly  
ran through the door and Nida shut it behind her, blocking her off from the rest of the ship.  
  
Adalia walked over and examined the hole looming in the fuel pod. It had only been  
about five minutes since the pod was hit, but almost all of the fuel had escaped into the outer  
recesses of space. Adalia would have to act fast if she wanted to save what remained of the fuel.  
  
Muttering a few ancient incantations under her breath, Adalia's eyes flared a brilliant  
yellow and she said "Omega Shell!" The fuel immediately stopped leaking, and rested against  
the invisible barrier holding it in.  
  
Adalia waved to Nida as a signal to let her back in. Nida obliged, and soon Adalia was  
out of her suit and walking hand in hand with Nida toward the cockpit.  
  
When the elevator reached the cockpit, Rinoa and Squall didn't say anything when they  
saw Nida. They didn't even give him a second glance.  
  
"Hey, doesn't Nida deserve a welcome?" Adalia asked, puzzled by their callous attitudes  
towards him.  
  
"I saw Nida hiding in the passenger area. I told Squall afterward, but I just pretended  
that I didn't see you, Nida. I figured you were going to surprise Adalia, and I wasn't going to  
ruin it for you." Rinoa explained.  
  
"How much fuel do we have left?" Squall asked Adalia, cutting to the chase.  
  
Adalia chewed on her bottom lip in thought, then looked at the other members of the  
team with sad eyes. "It's going to be a one way trip."  
  
The other team members turned their eyes downcast. A sudden turbulence startled them  
from their depressing thoughts as the Ragnarok descended into the moon's atmosphere.  
  
"That was a short ride." Nida remarked.  
  
"When they reattached the boosters, they added more power to them as well. That's how  
we got here so fast." Squall explained to him.  
  
"Well, let's go." Rinoa said as she pressed a button to ready the hatch to be opened. It  
was there as a safety precaution, to prevent to hatch from opening in mid flight.  
  
"We have a problem, people. We only have three space suits, and there are four of us."  
Squall pointed out.  
  
"Why would we need space suits? There's already air and gravity on the moon." Adalia  
informed them.  
  
"There's atmosphere on the moon?!" Nida asked, astounded.  
  
"Yes, how do you think all the monsters live there?" Adalia asked him. He just nodded,  
for they had reached the hangar.  
  
Squall walked over to the far right corner and pressed a blue button located on the wall.   
The hatch began to open, and the four of them peered at the surface of the moon, bracing  
themselves against an onslaught of monsters.  
  
But there was nothing. Only a cool breeze met the travellers as they walked down the  
opening on to the dusty soil of the moon.  
  
"She's waiting for us." Adalia remarked, as she began to trek off toward the horizon, the  
others quickly falling into stride beside her.  
  
They had walked for only about five minutes before they stood in front of a massive  
building, shaped like the old castles of yore.  
  
"Wouldn't something like this show up on Lunar Base's computers?" Squall asked, for it  
was just sitting there in plain daylight.  
  
"Those computers see only what Hyne wants them to see." Adalia told him. She took a  
deep breath, then pushed open the gargantuan doors that served as the entrance to the medieval  
fortress.  
  
The four of them stepped inside the castle, the doors swinging shut behind them and  
echoing through the vast, adjoining room. Pillars of fire lined both sides of the long room,  
leading up to a throne set up at the far end. The granite walls were painted with murals of red  
ochre depicting the evolution of the human race.  
  
A wave of warm air washed over them and seemed to head towards the throne, where it  
materialized and turned into a female figure.  
  
Squall, Rinoa and Nida stood frozen in place before her awesome presence, but Adalia  
bravely stepped forward. "Hyne, I have come before you to ask you to spare this sorceress' life."  
  
Hyne stood up and smiled, revealing to all present her long and flowing violet gown that  
showed off her slim figure. "Adalia, is that the only reason why you have come back?"  
  
Adalia shook her head. "No, it isn't. Hyne, there are great perils your people are facing  
everyday, like war and . . . and, well, that massacre at Balamb Garden! I also ask that would  
stop it, or make it so that never happened in the first place!" Adalia pleaded.  
  
Hyne smiled sadly. Out of love and out of the realization that the day she had despaired  
for so long had finally come. "If I did stop it, would you forgive me?"  
  
"Yes, Hyne, I would." Adalia replied, feeling relief wash over her.  
  
"Then come over here." Hyne told her, as she held her arms out as if to embrace Adalia.   
Adalia walked over and Hyne did embrace her. "Adalia," Hyne whispered into her ear, "I'm  
sorry that I have to do this, but it is the only way. I hope someday you will understand."  
  
  
Hyne pulled out an previously concealed dagger from within her dress and stabbed it  
through Adalia's chest as quickly as she could, to avoid giving Adalia more undue pain.  
  
"Adalia!" Nida screamed, but it was too late. The life force known as Adalia had already  
crossed over, and had been lost for all time. 


	9. Epilogue

Epilogue  
  
Nida felt a warm, north eastern breeze ruffle through his locks and caress his face like a long lost lover. It carried the smell of this springtime, and a thousand spring times before it.  
  
His chocobo warbled happily as it felt the warm noon time sun on its feathers, welcoming the spring time in all it's glory.  
  
Nida urged his chocobo into a run, feeling his heart begin to pound faster with the anticipation of a potential confrontation. 'Rinoa might be here; then I'll take her back to the Commander. I won't be known as the SeeD that didn't cut it now! I'll show them, and I don't need to defeat a sorceress to do so!' Nida thought to himself.  
  
The chocobo seemed to wark in agreement, then sped up, hurtling toward certain adventure and filled with the gravity and joy of being alive.  
  
Nida felt his pulse begin to race even faster as he spotted the squat stone building that served as Edea's orphanage.  
  
When he got closer, Nida dismounted his chocobo and ran around to the back of the building, hearing the shocked voices of several children and Edea trying to usher them into the house.  
  
The children were just stock still, gazing at something out in the distance. Nida turned around to look where they were gazing, as was almost overwhelmed by the dizzying feeling of deja vu.  
  
But all he saw was flowers, an endless field of flowers.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Hyne sat upon her throne, gazing at the ever-changing kaleidoscope that was human life. She was concentrating on one figure in particular.  
  
Hyne saw Nida shake his head in bitter disappointment when he found out that Rinoa hadn't been there at all; Seifer had just played a cruel joke on Squall.  
  
Hyne felt a pang of sadness in her chest. When Hyne had killed Adalia, she had erased her from this existence, totally removing her from the past and present.  
  
Though Hyne had tried to console herself that was what Adalia had wanted, she could still remember the look of utter betrayal in Adalia's eyes as she slipped away.  
  
Hyne knew she must now watch over Nida in Adalia's place, for it was the least she  
  
could do to carry on Adalia's legacy, the legacy of love for a misunderstood soul.  
  
Nida . . . he had always said that he never measured up, but what he didn't know was that when he did measure up, even the gods remembered. It was a tragedy that he didn't remember . . . for it would be as though it never happened.  
  
Hyne slowly got up from her throne, and began to walk through her grand yet empty castle, humming a familiar tune . . .  
  
"No matter where you've been  
  
And no matter what you've done  
  
I will always be here  
  
Ad infinitum."  
  
Fin 


End file.
